Page 77 of Fake It For Him

As we arrived at the Reid Estate for the Christmas Eve party, he carried our bag—singular—into our guest house and held my hand in his other. He smiled at me and winked as he shut the door behind us. “So I guess you’re coming to Christmas after all, huh?”

“Don’t remind me,” I teased, remembering how vehemently opposed I’d been to the idea the last time we’d been here.

It hadn’t even been that long ago, but in that time, things had changed. Things shifted between us, and right now, there was honestly no place else I’d rather be.

Calan, Freya, and even Finn had made me feel so welcome back in Maui that it even felt right to be here. Natural.

When his mother had invited us for the occasion, I hadn’t thought I’d ever feel like part of their family, and certainly not enough to spend Christmas with them, but strangely, I felt like I belonged here now.

I hadn’t fallen and knocked my head. I was painfully aware that I was not, in fact, part of the family and that I never would be. It wasn’t that I was deluding myself into believing otherwise and no head injury had contributed to an altered state of reality.

But while I knew I wasn’t one of them, it didn’t change the fact that I felt like I was. Even if it was just for now.

I shook my hands out at my sides as Calan strode off to drop the bag we’d packed together in the bedroom. It was so damn surreal that I’d grown to be so comfortable here in such a short amount of time. This was only my third visit to the guest house, and yet, I felt like I knew every inch of it.

I also knew Calan well enough at this point to know he’d want a drink before we got ready for the party, so I poured us each a whiskey at the bar and handed his over when he came back to the living room.

“Thanks,” he said, brushing his fingertips over the back of my hand as he accepted the glass. “Twenty-five-year?”

“Fifteen.” I wrinkled my nose at him and then winked. “Sorry, but it looks like you’re going to have to slum it until we get to the party.”

He let out a dramatic sigh before he shrugged. “I thought my family was starting to like me again, but I guess I was wrong if they left us this swill to drink.”

I laughed, knowing he was joking. “Swill, huh? I didn’t realize Isle of Reid produced any of that.”

Calan waggled his eyebrows at me and opened the buttons of his jacket before he sat down on a high stool at the bar. “We don’t. Besides, the fifteen-year is better than the twenty-five. Age doesn’t always make things better.”

“Fair enough. Although I didn’t know whiskey could be compared to arthritis. Age doesn’t make that better either.”

He laughed, happy and relaxed. The soft orange downlights built into the top of the bar shone down on him. Dressed as always in a bespoke suit with his dark hair styled away from his handsome face and amused light in those ebony eyes, he looked so gorgeous and so peaceful that I couldn’t stop staring at him.

For almost a whole week now, I’d been seeing more of him than I ever had or ever thought I would, and yet, it was like he was only becoming more beautiful.

Except for the nose.

It was healed-ish. There were still remnants of two black eyes, but the bruises were no longer dark purple and red. They were a yellowish brown, but at least that meant he was getting better.

Mikey had hit him square in the middle of his face, and I hated to think of what would’ve happened if Calan hadn’t taken it as well as he had. As it was, all week, I’d been worried that he’d go back, hunt him down, and clock him for what he’d done.

Calan hadn’t even provoked him. He’d been completely calm, but Mikey had gone off anyway and I still didn’t understand why. He couldn’t possibly be that worried about me, and if he was, I didn’t understand that either.

Peacefulness washed across his features, softening the hard edges and making him look truly happy for the first time since I’d met him. It took him to a whole other level of beautiful. It also made me feel like I was good for him. Like I’d contributed to bringing said peace to soothe the turmoil he’d previously felt deep down in his soul.

Calan smiled as he held his drink up for a toast. “To your first Reid Christmas. Fair warning, these events don’t always turn out as pretty as the décor.”

I clinked my glass against his. “Whatever happens, we’ll face it together.”

As I took a sip of the smoky, rich liquid I was getting way too used to, Calan’s gaze rested on mine, searching for something I wasn’t sure if he found. Neither of us had acknowledged the L-O-V-E word that Mikey had dropped, but deep down inside, I felt like I was his and that our relationship was legitimate.

Especially these days.

I knew we had to talk about it, but for now, I was content just to let this be my reality. We only had one week left until the contract ended, and I wanted to enjoy every minute. While I was terrified that Mikey was going to be proven right come January first, I couldn’t let myself think about that.

Not now. Not when we had to face his entire family and their friends in a little over an hour.

For just a second as Calan stared at me though, I thought he might say something. I thought he was finally going to broach the subject, but then his serious expression faded and he jerked his head at the bedroom.

“I saw you packed a dark purple dress to wear to the party,” he said with a slight smirk touching his lips. “My bruises are going to clash.”